Merry friggin’ whatever everybody! Sleigh bells are ringin’, snow is a’glistenin’ and, as usual, The HOP boys are rockin’ around the Christmas tree with beer in their hands. It’s a jam-packed episode this week as Stephen & Gabe travel the world to explore all that the Christmas Ale can be. First up, we’ll welcome two new breweries to the show. Gabe heads to the Midwest for a stop at Great Lakes Brewing while Stephen samples one of the world’s most iconic Christmas beers, coming to us out of Watou, Belgium and Brouwerij Sint Bernardus. Then, a pair of HOP alumni breweries returns to the show, both marking the holiday with the release of rare, unique beer styles. We’ll also break down the latest industry news including a slew of recent craft beer acquisitions, and Stephen & Gabe make an announcement as we reach the end of our 4th year on the mics.

Featured beers: Great Lakes Christmas Ale, St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, Bell’s Christmas Scotch Ale and Brewery Ommegang Everything Naughty. Plus: Jingle balls, Michael Bübs, pooping logs and Kentucky Fried Christmas!